Warning: This article contains details that some readers may find upsetting

A cat was taken from a Washington cat rescue and found dead in a nearby dumpster Tuesday.

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A volunteer with Whisker City Cat Rescue in Shoreline called police around noon to report that an outdoor cat shelter was broken into and the cat housed inside, Quixote, was missing.

According to a post on the shelter's Facebook page, the cat seemingly put up a fight when he was taken. There was blood in the area of his enclosure.

The volunteer contacted police again just before 5 p.m. to say she found the Quixote, dead in the building's dumpster.

In an emotional video shared on the Whisker City Facebook page, a worker standing next to a dumpster announces the gruesome discovery to those who had been searching for the missing animal.

"I have some terrible, terrible, news to report. We just found Quixote in the dumpster, dead. Someone has killed this cat," the woman said. "This cat was locked up in his own place, under padlock, and someone tore open the cage, went in and took this cat out and murdered it."

King County Animal Control was advised of the incident.

The cat's head had been crushed in, according to a report from the King County Sheriff's Office. Whisker City’s founder, April Brown, said it appeared that every bone in the cat's body had been broken.

Brown said she believes the cat was stomped and beaten to death with a broken chair leg.

“He didn’t even look like a cat. How could you mutilate an innocent animal like that?” volunteer Erin Balda told KING 5. “Never did I imagine coming out to the garbage dumpster and finding him in there tossed away like a piece of trash.”

Even more tragic, Quixote was headed for a new home. His new owner was supposed to pick him up on Friday.

The cat was turned over to the rescue shelter's owner, who will reportedly take it to a veterinarian for examination.

A GoFundMe page was set up to raise money to get Quixote's teeth and claws swabbed for human DNA in an effort to find his killer. Money raised beyond the goal will go toward a reward fund for tipsters and security equipment at the shelter.

Authorities say they are aware of another recent animal cruelty case in the area, in August. They said there's no evidence to show the cases are related at this time.